Metallic fence-post and fastening device therefor.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

EREFOR.

R. MATTIGB. METALLIC FENCE POST AND FASTENING DEVICE TH APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 18, 1907.

:TTNTTED STATES PATENT ()FFTQE.

ROYAL MATTICE, OF WVIOHITA, KANSAS.

lVlETALLlC FENCE-POST AND FASTENING DEVICE THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed January 18, 1907. Serial No. 352,845.

and useful Improvements in Metallic Fence- Posts and Fastening Devices Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a metallic fence post capable of being rolled .or pressed from a flatblank of rolled metal into a channel formation which will be exceedingly strong and rigid and at the same time provide means for tightening the strand wires of the fence during the operation of attaching the wires to the post, thereby enabling the fence to be strung more tightly and rigidly than is ordinarily possible with posts of the usual construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide attaching means by which an entire section of mesh fence can be attached by a single attaching rod, which obviates the necessity for attaching each strand wireof the fence separately.

Another object of the invention is to so form the posts that they can be nested together for storage or transportation, which effects a great saving in space and cheapens the cost of transportation.

Another object of the invention is to simplify and cheapen the method of construc tion so that the posts can be turned out at a rapid rate, in proper form for use. without the necessity for constructing machinery of peculiar or unusual type for their manufacture.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 illustrates a section of hog fence, the lower portion of which comprises a mesh and the upper portion of which comprises barb wires showing the method of attaching the different styles of fence to the post of the present invention; Fig. 2 a single post having a slightly different point or taper at its lower end; Fig. 3 a view of the lower end of a post having a butt end tapered with particular reference for use in stony ground; Fig. 4 a side elevation of the same; Fig. 5 a cross sectional view of the post showing the wire ready for attachment thereto; Fig. 6 a similar view showing the wire fully attached; Fig. 7 a longitudinal sectional view of the post and fencing of Fig. 1, showing the attaching rod in its initial position for seeming the fence to the post; Fig. 8 a sectional detail of the post showing the different methods of securing barb or plain wire thereto; and Fig. 9 a similar view showing the wires in position to be finally attached.

The post 10 is constructed of a plate of steel or iron tapered toward its upper end in the usual manner and provided in the center of its front face with a longitudinally extcnding channel 11 having punched therein a plurality of holes 12, which are spaced any desirable distance apart to provide for use with different widths of fence fabric. The channel, as shown, is of semi-circular formation and terminates on each side in companion shoulders or ridges 13 against which the strand wires 14 of the mesh fabric and the barb wires 15 are adapted to abut. The post further comprises rearwardly and divergently extending sides 16 which give to the entire post in section substantially the shape of a W.

The mesh fence fabric is preferably secured to the post as a unit by means of an attaching rod 17, of the shape shown in Fig. 7, which is preferably formed of spring metal slightly bowed back and provided at its lower end with a shoulder 18 terminating in a short end 19, which arrangement permits the shoulder to be entered through the lowermost hole 12 and permits the end 19 to abut against the inner face of the post. The rod is of a length to entirely bridge over the fence fabric and is provided at its upper end with a finger 20 adapted to be forced through one of the holes 12 and thereafter bent down against the rear face of the post, stretching the strand wires of the fence fabric down into the channel and clamping the fabric against the post and preventing its removal.

The single wires, forming the upper portion of the hog fence of Fig. 1, may be separately attached in any suitable manner, and Figs. 8 and 9 are illustrative of two methods of attaching single wires to the post of the present invention. The wires may be attached by means of staples 21 which embrace the wire and have their ends'entered through one of the holes 12 and thereafter upset, as indicated in Fig. 8. This method of attaching serves to draw down the wires into the channel provided therefor and stretch the wires sufli- Lin ciently to hold them tight under all circumstances. instead of using the staples of the above character, the shoulders 13 of the posts may be provided with obliquely extending cuts 22 which preferably extend inwardly in 0 posite directions on the two companion shoulders of the post, terminat ing, however, in lateral alinement with one another. In securing the wires to the post in this manner, the wires are entered into the cuts and forced down to the inner ends thereof, after which the wall of the cut is swaged or hammered down, as indicated in Fig. 8, which prevents the removal of the wire..

The lower or butt end of the post may be sharpened, as indicated in Fig. 1, to provide a center point 23, or the post may be shaped, as indicated in Fig. 2, to rovide a point 24 on one side only. Where t e post is intended for use in rocky or stony ground, two side points 25 may be provided, which leaves a center cut or recess 26. For rocky ground this form of post is desirable, in that the points more readily enter the spaces or interstices between the stones than would be the case if but a single point were provided.

It will be understood that the hog fence, shown in Fig. 1 and described in the specification, serves merely for purposes ofillustration, since the post of the present invention is adapted for use with any kind of a wire fence, whether of mesh or single strand formation. It will be further understood that where single wires are strung they may be either of barb or plain formation. Where a mesh fence is used the attaching rod 17 affords a very convenient and satisfactory method of attaching the fence to the post, in that it enables the entire fabric to be attached at a single operation, and furthermore the rod affords alever for stretching the fence fabric down into the channel and thereby tightening the fence to a very marked degree. By employing the rod 17, in-combination with a channel post of the formation described, the fence can be strung with great ease and rapidity and in a wholly satisfactory manner. It is obvious, however, that the strand wires of the mesh fence can be secured in either of the ways indicated by'Figs. 7 and 8, and this method of securing the fence may be of ad vantage in cases where the attaching rods are not available for use or where short sections of fence are being strung. The posts are preferably provided with a large numberof attaching holes, which permits a single post to be used with different widths of fence fabric, it only being necessary to employ attaching rods of a proper length to enter two of the holes provided. Although it is desirable that the attaching rod be of the proper length to bridge the entire fence fabric, nevertheless, in somecases it may be convenient and necessary to secure a part of the fabric by means of the rod, and one or more of the outer strand wires by means of separate attaching means of the character above indicated or of any other convenient character.

The post of channel formation, above described, will be exceedingly strong and rigid,

so that it may be made of comparatively small size without impairing its efficiency. The shape of the post is one which enables it to be stamped or rolled out without any difficulty from any ordinary flat blank of metal, and the channel formation enables the wires of the fence to be drawn tight during the operation of stringing the fence, and enables the tension to be exerted in a line at right angles to the strand wires, which is a much simpler and more efficient method of exerting tension than by means of a direct pull in line with the I strand wires of the fence.

What I claim as new and desire to securev by Letters Patent is:

1. A fence post of substantially W formation, having rounded front shoulders and a body portion of channel formation provided with holes, a plurality of strand wires extending across the channel, and an attaching rod overlying the strand wires and secured to the post and clamping the strand wires within the channel in the post, substantially as described.

2. A fence post of substantially W forma tion, provided with holes in its channel, a plurality of strand wires extending across the channel, and a rod having its upper and lower ends entered through the holes in the channel, the rod bridging the wires and serving to draw down the wires into the channel and hold them therein, substantially as described.

3. A fence post of substantially W formation, provided with a plurality of holes in its channel, a fence fabric extending across the channel in the post, a rod having at one end a shoulder terminating in an end in angular relation thereto, the shoulder being entered through one of the holes, the rod having at its other end a finger entered through another one of the holes and held therein, the rod bridging over the wire fence fabric and clamping the fabric within the channel in the post, substantially as described.

4:. The combination of afence post of channel formation, provided with a plurality of holes in its channel, a fence fabric extending across the channel in the post, an attaching rod overlying the fence fabric and provided at its ends with bent portions entered into the holes and secured therein and clamping the fence fabric within the channel, substan tially as described.

5. The combination of a fence post of channel formation, provided with a plurality of holes, a fence fabric extending across the channel, an attaching rod of resilient material normally outwardly bowed and provided at its ends with inwardly bent portions enterecl through and secured within the holes, the rod overlying the fence fabric and clamping the fabric Within the channel, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a'l ence post of channel formation, provided with a plurality of I holes and a terminal end abutl ing against the hole in the post and secured therein and 5 holes, afence fabric extending across the ch an nel 1n the post, an attaching rod overlying the fence fabric and normally outwardl bowed from the post, the rod having at one end a shoulder entered through one ol the clamping the fence Fabric ilhin the channel in the post, substantialtv as described.

R0 YAL MA'ITICE.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL W. BANNING, WALKER BANNING. 

